Trump wins Arkansas, state’s congressional incumbents re-elected

LITTLE ROCK — As expected, Republican Donald Trump won Arkansas’ six electoral votes and Republican incumbents won all five of the state’s congressional races Tuesday.

Trump had 60 percent of the vote and Clinton had 34 percent as of 11 p.m., with third-party candidates splitting the remaining 6 percent, according to unofficial and incomplete election returns from to the Secretary of State’s Office.

A Democratic presidential candidate has not won Arkansas since Bill Clinton in 1996.

U.S. Sen John Boozman, R-Ark., of Rogers won a second term Tuesday, defeating Democrat Conner Eldridge of Fayetteville and Libertarian Frank Gilbert of Tull.

At 11 p.m., Boozman had 60 percent of the vote, Eldridge had 36 percent and Gilbert had 4 percent.

Eldridge, who grew up in Augusta and Lonoke and formerly served as Fort Smith-based U.S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, sought to portray Boozman as a do-nothing senator, but the incumbent’s fundraising more than doubled Eldridge’s, who lacked financial support from the national Democratic Party.

Polls showed Boozman with a double-digit lead over Eldridge going into the election.

In a victory speech Tuesday night at the sate GOP’s watch party at the Embassy Suites hotel in Little Rock, Boozman said, “Your elected leaders, once this is over, need to come together and find common ground to address the problems that we face,” he said, adding that those problems include regulatory burdens on businesses and threats to national security.

At 11 p.m., Westerman had 76 percent of the vote and Hicks had 24 percent.

On his way to Little Rock from Hot Springs earlier Tuesday, Westerman said by phone if he was re-elected his first order of business will be to continue working to ensure his Resilient Federal Forests Act, which would expedite forest management activities on federal forests, moves forward.

Westerman also said he would continue to pay close attention to other natural resources issues.

He applauded Hicks for entering the race, saying, “I salute him for his efforts.”

U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Rogers, won a fourth term, defeating Libertarian Steve Isaacson of Eureka Springs. At 11 p.m., Womack had 77 percent of the vote and Isaacson had 23 percent.

In a written statement Tuesday night, Womack said he remains committed to the ideals of “the entrepreneurial spirit and selfless character of Third District Arkansans.”

U.S. Rep Rick Crawford, R-Jonesboro, won a fourth term, defeating Libertarian Mark West of Batesville. At 11 p.m., Crawford had 77 percent of the vote and West had 23 percent.

Crawford said in a written statement Tuesday night, “My priorities in Congress from the beginning have been to reform our federal government, enact permanent spending controls, and represent the values of rural Arkansas.”

U.S. Rep. French Hill, R-Little Rock, won a second term, defeating his Democratic challenger, former Little Rock School Board President Dianne Curry of Little Rock, and Libertarian Chris Hayes of Pulaski County. Hill’s opponents trailed far behind the incumbent in fundraising.

At 11 p.m., Hill had 58 percent of the vote, Curry had 37 percent and Hayes had 5 percent.

In a victory speech at Embassy Suites in Little Rock, Hill pledged to fight for the principles of “transparency, accountability, having government do the job that we ask it to do and nothing more, and most importantly, offering a message of hope and inclusion.”

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Time Record reporter John Lovett in Fort Smith contributed to this report.